Inauguration Day protest on Caltrain tracks in SF prompts arrests

Updated 12:44 pm, Friday, January 20, 2017

As protesters marched across the Bay Area, a group of more than a dozen chained themselves to one another and stood in the middle of Caltrain tracks in San Francisco, blocking trains in both northbound and southbound directions Friday morning.

Just after 8:30 a.m. the group blocked the trains at 16th and Mississippi streets and no train tracks were operating in the area, according to Caltrain.

Later in the morning, police issued two dispersal orders and the protesters collapsed on the ground as Caltrain workers broke their chains. Eleven people were arrested by the Transit Police Bureau.

Photo: Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle / /

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Protesters chained themselves together to block the Caltrain tracks at 16th and Mississippi streets in San Francisco Friday morning to demonstrated their outrage over President Trump’s inauguration.

Protesters chained themselves together to block the Caltrain tracks at 16th and Mississippi streets in San Francisco Friday morning to demonstrated their outrage over President Trump’s inauguration.

Center: Peter Gaughan makes a fist in the air during a rally at the United Nations Plaza on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif. Hundreds of demonstrations across the country protested the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. Gaughan said "Trump is normalizing the hatred and bigotry that has existed in this country for years." less

Center: Peter Gaughan makes a fist in the air during a rally at the United Nations Plaza on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif. Hundreds of demonstrations across the country protested the ... more

Hundreds of people rally at the United Nations Plaza on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif. Hundreds of demonstrations across the country protested the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.

Hundreds of people rally at the United Nations Plaza on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif. Hundreds of demonstrations across the country protested the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.

Demonstrators Carey Lambrecht, Kathryn Snyder, and Shayna Cureton sing while standing with linked arms at an anti-trump protest at 555 California St on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Demonstrators Carey Lambrecht, Kathryn Snyder, and Shayna Cureton sing while standing with linked arms at an anti-trump protest at 555 California St on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

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Demonstrators fill the intersection at California Street and Kearny St on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Demonstrators fill the intersection at California Street and Kearny St on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

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Demonstrators fill the intersection at California Street and Kearny St on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Demonstrators fill the intersection at California Street and Kearny St on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle

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Demonstrators (center left to right) Tash Nguyen, Erin Gray, and Cliff Lau chained themselves to the front entrance of Wells Fargo on California St on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Demonstrators (center left to right) Tash Nguyen, Erin Gray, and Cliff Lau chained themselves to the front entrance of Wells Fargo on California St on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, Calif.

Maria Pasos-Nuñez (center left) and Natalie Burke (center right), both of San Francisco, hold signs at the Golden Gate Bridge after attending Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco Calif. "This is the most hopeful and happy I've been since the election. So many good people coming together. The Future is positive,"said Burke. less

Maria Pasos-Nuñez (center left) and Natalie Burke (center right), both of San Francisco, hold signs at the Golden Gate Bridge after attending Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco ... more

Charlee Moore (second from right) of San Francisco dances while walking with others to fill in gaps on the Golden Gate Bridge as she holds hands with husband Christopher Moore (third from right) and others during Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco Calif. less

Charlee Moore (second from right) of San Francisco dances while walking with others to fill in gaps on the Golden Gate Bridge as she holds hands with husband Christopher Moore (third from right) and others ... more

Vanessa Kainz (center) and Pamela Smith (right), both of San Francisco, raise their hands in the air as they and others hold hands on the Golden Gate Bridge during Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco Calif. less

Vanessa Kainz (center) and Pamela Smith (right), both of San Francisco, raise their hands in the air as they and others hold hands on the Golden Gate Bridge during Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 ... more

Nick Rondoletto, Pat Waters and Kathy Karriman, all of San Francisco, cheer at drivers passing as they stand on the Golden Gate Bridge during Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco Calif. less

Nick Rondoletto, Pat Waters and Kathy Karriman, all of San Francisco, cheer at drivers passing as they stand on the Golden Gate Bridge during Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco ... more

Victor Kane of San Francisco wears a rainbow flag, which he said for him sysmbolizes the freedom of all people, in his hat while gathering with others on the Golden Gate Bridge for Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco Calif. less

Victor Kane of San Francisco wears a rainbow flag, which he said for him sysmbolizes the freedom of all people, in his hat while gathering with others on the Golden Gate Bridge for Bridge Together on Friday, ... more

The San Francisco skyline is seen beyond the hands of Vanessa Kainz (l to r) and Pamela Smith, both of San Francisco, as they and others hold hands on the Golden Gate Bridge during Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco Calif. less

The San Francisco skyline is seen beyond the hands of Vanessa Kainz (l to r) and Pamela Smith, both of San Francisco, as they and others hold hands on the Golden Gate Bridge during Bridge Together on Friday, ... more

James Bosch (center) and John Rowe (right), of San Francisco, embrace with Saralyn Acton of Sausalito as she passes by as they stand on the Golden Gate Bridge with others during Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, California. less

James Bosch (center) and John Rowe (right), of San Francisco, embrace with Saralyn Acton of Sausalito as she passes by as they stand on the Golden Gate Bridge with others during Bridge Together on Friday, ... more

Victor Kane of San Francisco wears a rainbow flag, which he said for him sysmbolizes the freedom of all people, in his hat while gathering with others on the Golden Gate Bridge for Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco Calif. less

Victor Kane of San Francisco wears a rainbow flag, which he said for him sysmbolizes the freedom of all people, in his hat while gathering with others on the Golden Gate Bridge for Bridge Together on Friday, ... more

Cheryll Grover of Martinez hand wrote what she says are the nine deadly sins to get the message out that love conquers hate as she stands on the Golden Gate Bridge for Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, California. less

Cheryll Grover of Martinez hand wrote what she says are the nine deadly sins to get the message out that love conquers hate as she stands on the Golden Gate Bridge for Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, ... more

Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

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Matti Hathaway of Petaluma wears purple stars in her hair before Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, California. Alex this one probably needs to be toned a bit

Matti Hathaway of Petaluma wears purple stars in her hair before Bridge Together on Friday, January 20, 2017 in San Francisco, California. Alex this one probably needs to be toned a bit

Several demonstrators chain themselves together across Caltrain tracks on 16th Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump. San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies and San Francisco police officers moved in to arrest the demonstrators as soon as the chains were cut and removed. less

Several demonstrators chain themselves together across Caltrain tracks on 16th Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump. San Mateo County ... more

San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies take a man into custody after several demonstrators chained themselves together across Caltrain tracks on 16th Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump. less

San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies take a man into custody after several demonstrators chained themselves together across Caltrain tracks on 16th Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 to ... more

San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies arrest a group of demonstrators who chained themselves together across Caltrain tracks on 16th Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump. less

San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies arrest a group of demonstrators who chained themselves together across Caltrain tracks on 16th Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 to protest the ... more

San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies and San Francisco police officers take a woman into custody after several demonstrators chained themselves together across Caltrain tracks on 16th Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump. less

San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies and San Francisco police officers take a woman into custody after several demonstrators chained themselves together across Caltrain tracks on 16th Street in San Francisco, ... more

An office worker looks out from a window at a small group of demonstrators protesting the inauguration of President Donald Trump in front of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. less

An office worker looks out from a window at a small group of demonstrators protesting the inauguration of President Donald Trump in front of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, ... more

Stephany Ashley, a 31-year-old San Francisco resident, was among the 11 people who were arrested Friday morning after blocking Caltrain tracks.

Stephany Ashley, a 31-year-old San Francisco resident, was among the 11 people who were arrested Friday morning after blocking Caltrain tracks.

Photo: Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle

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Eleven people were arrested in San Francisco Friday morning after blocking Caltrain tracks.

Eleven people were arrested in San Francisco Friday morning after blocking Caltrain tracks.

Photo: Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle / /

Inauguration Day protest on Caltrain tracks in SF prompts arrests

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San Francisco Police Department officers, who were assisting the San Mateo County Sheriff’s department to make the arrests, shoved anyone not part of the human chain off to the side and began working to untangle the row of men and women on the ground chanting, “No justice no peace.”

Officers grabbed at least two protestors who refused orders to get off the ground by the face and arrested them.

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Caltrain spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew said “trespassing on the railroad tracks is illegal and a safety hazard.”

By 11:30 a.m., trains were running again.

Plans were put in place to disrupt traffic and “business as usual” as part of an ongoing national resistance to the President Donald Trump’s incoming administration, said Cat Brooks, co-founder of the Anti-Police-Terror Project.

The chain of people planned to keep blocking the tracks until at least noon Friday, she added.

“This particular intersection is where a homeless encampment was violently evicted not long ago. And a major intersection for commuters going to tech jobs that have pushed black and brown people out of the city,” Brooks said.

On either side of the intersection, people were holding a large, pink fabric signs that read “Resist Fascism Protect Civil Liberties #120Hours #Ungovernable” and “Resist The War On The Poor Protect Dignity #ReclaimMLK #J20.”

Stephany Ashley, a 31-year-old San Francisco resident, chained herself to nearly 15 others and stood alongside the track Friday morning to make a statement to the many tech employees who use Caltrain to get to work.

“I am here to demonstrate my opposition to Trump’s inauguration and to demonstrate resistance to fascism,” Ashley said. “I want to see an end to the war on the poor that's happening in the city."

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